1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for a method of determining the degradation of a high-voltage battery mounted in an electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
High-voltage batteries are typically mounted in an Electric Vehicle (EV), Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PHEV), or the like to store electric energy to be provided as the driving force of the vehicle. As a result, the capacity or the state of these high-voltage batteries directly influences the driving distance of a vehicle.
One known characteristic of batteries, high-voltage or not, is that when the battery is continuously used, it is realistically impossible to avoid a degradation phenomenon which reduces the storage capacity of the battery. As degradation progresses, in the driving distance of the vehicle and/or deterioration of power for acceleration, appears even if the same State Of Charge (SOC) is indicated. If such a phenomenon is not accurately detected, consumers often are unsure why over time their vehicle begins to have a shorter traveling distance, less acceleration, and/or power and thus, the dealers are unable to detect the origins of these problems because the State of Charge is inaccurate.
Unfortunately, in EV/PHEVs that are currently being developed, methods or technique capable of accurately estimating the degradation of a battery have not yet been provided.
The foregoing is intended merely to aid in the better understanding of the background of the present invention, and is not intended to mean that the present invention falls within the purview of the related art that is already known to those skilled in the art.